


Make-up

by PurpleArrowzandLeather



Category: Batman - All Media Types, Son of Batman (2014), Under the Red Hood
Genre: Bruce Wayne is a Good Parent, Bruce is as Emotional as a Brick Wall, Bruce just loves his sons!, Bruce the Proud Father, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Protective Jason Todd, Until that Weird Moment when he isn't
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-08-24
Updated: 2018-08-24
Packaged: 2019-06-30 00:30:00
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,790
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15740421
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/PurpleArrowzandLeather/pseuds/PurpleArrowzandLeather
Summary: Jason has been declared legally alive, and naturally, this means he's forced to attend galas. The guests make some ugly accusations and Jason decides to set them straight.





	Make-up

**Author's Note:**

> It's a soppy, huggy ride, folks.

          Jason plays with his cuffs. Bruce smiles at him as he struggles, fixing Dick's bow tie while Damian preens in the mirror. Tim is as put-together as always, bruising carefully covered in make-up. Jason doesn't mind letting his bruises show, but it reflects poorly on Bruce's ability to keep them safe. Sadly, the bruise on Jason's jawline was just a smidge too purple to be covered properly. He'll just have to hope they don't look too closely. Damian turns to Jason, spreading his arms. 

          "You're good, Short Stack."

          "Tt." He huffs at the nickname. "Your bow tie is crooked."

          Jason sticks out his tongue at his little brother. "Is not."

          Damian scowls at having been caught, but Bruce snaps his fingers to remind them that they're about to make their appearance. Dick puts on his best fake-smile and Jason makes do with his shark-smirk. Tim is the model example of billionaire scion heir, hair and tie both perfect, and Jason nearly runs out of the dressing room to lean over the manor railing to throw up in disgust.  _What a doofus._

          "Jay?" Bruce asks. 

          "Yeah?"

          "How're you feeling? This is your first gala in a long time."

          Jason chuckles, albeit a little nervously. "I'll live."

          Bruce smiles knowingly. "I know that the smile is fake, but just remember that you can hide behind it. Try for charming. You know how much the old ladies love that."

          Jason and the rest of the boys all rub their cheeks in sympathy.

          Damian clicks his tongue behind his teeth. "Love to pinch us, more like."

          Bruce ruffles Damian's hair, a protest leaving his lips as he rushes to fix it. "You'll all do fine. If any of you need an out, just call, all right? And Damian?"

          "Yes, father?"

          "You know the rules. No wine."

          "Tt. You don't have to remind me, father."

          Jason smiles down at him. "No worries, Demon Spawn. Just a few more years."

          Damian used to growl at him for the name, but it had long since become endearing rather than aggravating, much to Jason's dislike. 

          He lets out a long, calming breath, suddenly jittery. His fingers tap at the side of his leg and Bruce reaches up to ruffle his hair as well. He brushes him away, but secretly likes the attention. It reminds him that Bruce isn't kicking him out onto the street. 

          Bruce tugs at Dick's bow-tie one last time before plastering a smile on his face. "Ready?"

          Tim stands right next to him, heir to a fortune vibe running strong. Jason tugs at his collar, swallowing. Bruce flashes him one last sincere smile before opening the doors. Tim walks a step behind Bruce and a little left, Damian doing the same on his right. Dick follows behind Tim, and Jason behind Damian, effectively protecting both younger members of the brood. 

          Bruce plays the good host, laughing when he's supposed to. Dick talks with a few old bats about his job and they nod along, humoring him. Damian's cheek is already red where a reporter got to him. Jason has to give him credit. He hasn't stabbed a single person yet.

          Jason splits away from the throng of the party, the food beckoning him into its safety zone. He's approached with food in his mouth.  _Liar._

          "Jason Todd!" a lady says, coming up to shake his hand. "It's a pleasure to see you, honey."

          Jason flashes a grin, wiping his face. The lady frowns, her friends mimicking the action. 

          "Did I miss a spot?"

          "Um, no, dear, of course not..... It's just, well.... You have a rather large bruise."

          Jason swears to himself, rushing to reassure them. "It's nothing. Just a little accident."

          The kindly lady with dulling red hair smiles, but it's pained. "Are you sure? Um.... Bruce didn't-"

          Jason gapes for a few seconds before a spike of anger worms its way onto his face. "How dare you!" Jason snaps, his yelling quieting the room. "Bruce would never hurt anyone! Least of all his sons! I already had one abusive father, so do you  _really_ think that I would stick around to be the son of another? We're the kids of a billionaire, so what better to do than stupid stunts?! Just yesterday, we pushed Tim down the stairs in a laundry basket because he was  _absolutely positive_ he had figured out the proper vectors. I have the video to prove it!"

          Tim makes an undignified squawk. "YOU TOOK A VIDEO?!!!!"

          Jason's anger abates just long enough to grin at Tim. "Blackmail material, Timmy."

          He turns a little pink and Jason shifts his attention back to the party-goers. "You should be ashamed of yourselves! Bruce is a better person than any of you will ever be, and he let you into his home." Jason's voice breaks a little.  _He let me into his home._ His voice is softer when he continues. "All he's ever done is try to help this city. So how dare you."

          He flicks his wine into the fern, putting his glass down on the table before walking out of the room. He takes the back way up to the east wing. He settles into the dressing room, tugging his bow-tie off and shedding his jacket. He sits down on a chair, leaning to drop his face into his hands. 

          It's nearly two hours later when someone comes to check on him. It's Bruce. 

          "Hey, kiddo. Sorry it took me so long to come find you. I've been getting apologies all evening. A lot of them were for upsetting you."

          Jason wipes his face on his shirt sleeve. "Did I screw everything up?"

          Bruce smiles, but the effort is weak. "That's not what matters."

          "B, just tell me, please."

          Bruce sighs, crouching down and patting Jason's knee. "Fine. If you must know, we got almost double the proceeds tonight that we usually would. And I think that's because of you."

          Jason wipes his face again. "They just.... I wiped off some of the make-up, and they saw the bruise. And then.... they just assumed that you-" Jason shakes his head. "You would never, ever, do that."

          "It's not like I haven't given all of you some bruises in some shape or form."

          "That's different." Jason insists. "That's training. They thought that-" He chokes. "-that you beat me."

          Bruce places a careful hand on Jason's head, his fingers carding through Jason's thick bangs until they reach the white streak. Jason's shoulders start to shake. 

          " _You're not Willis. You're not._ " he whispers, leaning into Bruce's hand as he cups the side of his face.

          Bruce feels a pang in his chest as he brushes tears from Jason's cheeks. "Hey." he says softly. "It's not your fault that they made assumptions."

          Jason shakes his head. "I was the one who wiped off the make-up."

          "You were also the one who tried to defend me."

          Jason glances away, clenching his jaw as he tries to stop the tears rolling down his face.

          "I am so proud of you, Jason."

          A choked sob drops from his mouth and Bruce pulls him into a hug, wrapping his arms around shoulders nearly as broad as his own. Bruce quiets him, his right hand moving up into Jason's hair again. Jason grips Bruce's suit coat in his hands.

          "I don't know how I can ever deserve you, Jason. I am so proud." Bruce says, pulling back with a smile as he brushes more tears off of Jason's face. "So proud."

          Jason starts on a string of apologies and Bruce shushes him. The apologies break off as Bruce pulls him back into a hug. Jason shifts to come down off the chair, kneeling in front of Bruce. Bruce hasn't seen this level of emotion from Jason since the incident with the Joker, and it doesn't look like it's stopping any time soon. Bruce pulls Jason a little closer as a heavy breath comes out fluttery enough to shake his entire body.

          " _My brave boy_." Bruce says lowly.

          Jason pulls back, bowing his head as shame burns through him. "M'a murderer. Selfish. Arrogant."

          Bruce isn't about to let him get away with that. "Hey." he tilts Jason's chin up, his eyes closing and his lower lip trembling as he fights back sobs. "I don't want you to change. I want you just as you are." Jason's glimmering blue pools open to meet Bruce's gaze, tear-clotted lashes flicking. "You are everything I could never be. Honest. Passionate in both aspects or your life. Fearless." he thumbs away more tears as they make new trails down Jason's face. "And above all, you are so brave. You faced Joker, death, the League.... me. Jason, there is no part of you that I would change. Not for the whole world."

          Jason leans forwards, burying his face in Bruce's chest, gripping his dress shirt in tight fists. " _Stop. Just stop._ " he whispers, his tone desperate.

          "Why? It's the truth."

          "I-" he shifts, turning so his back is against Bruce's chest. "I would be d-done crying by now i-if it wasn't for you."

          Bruce chuckles, pressing a kiss to the top of Jason's head. He rocks back and forth gently, keeping his arms wound tightly around Jason. Jason calms, tilting his head back into the space under Bruce's chin. They sit like that for nearly an hour when Bruce adjusts his grip. Jason doesn't fight him on it, only sinking a bit deeper into Bruce's grasp. 

          "Are you all right?" he asks softly. 

          Jason sniffs, dragging a hand across his face. His voice quavers when he speaks. "Ask me again in ten minutes."

          Bruce hums his acknowledgement. Jason swallows, his chest still heaving. Bruce feels lighter. If somebody asked, right now  _he_ could probably do a quadruple backflip. 

          "B?"

          "Hmm?"

          "M'too tired to get up."

          Bruce tries his best not to laugh, the resulting chuckle throaty. "I can still carry you. It's fine."

          Jason makes a doubtful noise, but Bruce ignores it, picking Jason up off the ground as easy as breathing. When he opens the door to Jason's room, he settles the still boy onto the bed. He's already asleep. Bruce works his messy shirt free and pulls his shoes off, tugging his blankets up around his shoulders. Jason murmurs something about ' _his blankets, so go away_ '.

          Bruce chuckles again, pressing another kiss to the top of Jason's head. "Sleep well, Jason."

          Jason moves towards the other side of the bed, rolling over with a groan. "Night, B."

          Bruce cards calloused fingers through Jason's hair one more time before he leaves, closing the door with one glance back at Jason's sprawled form. Reckless and dangerous Jason may be, but Ra's help him, he loves that boy.

**Author's Note:**

> Love is like the ocean blue,  
> hearts swinging with the tide.  
> Crashing, banging, storming, new,  
> the weary sailors cried.


End file.
